Potti Sriramulu

Once Gandhiji had remarked that if India only had a few stalwarts like him, would have attained Independence long back. It was said for the legendary freedom fighter Potti Sriramulu who sacrificed his life for the creation of Andhra Pradesh.

This great freedom fighter was born on 16 March 1901, in Madras (Chennai). He had spent his formative years in this city(Chennai) where his family had made home after moving from their native Guntur district. After completing his diploma in Sanitary Engineering from the Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute in Bombay (Mumbai), he worked in the Great Indian Peninsular Railway for a salary of Rs 250 per month.

Despite a relatively comfortable life, Sriramulu was of patriotic disposal from the very beginning. A series of personal losses occurred in his early life. In 1928, his wife died during childbirth, and a few days later, his child also died. Following the passing of his mother, Sriramulu gave up his government job in 1930 to join Gandhi's Salt Satyagraha for which he was imprisoned. He also played an active role in the Quit India Movement in 1942 and was jailed alongside Gandhiji.

He was a deep follower of Gandhiji and took his call to serve India's villages where most of the country lived. He joined the Gandhi Ashram set up by Yerneni Subrahmanyam near Komaravolu village in the Krishna district.

He always carried on his work with utmost devotion and with a cheerful disposition, thereby gaining everyone's admiration including Gandhiji.

He also took up the cause for greater social and economic emancipation of the Dalit community. While other Congressmen were focused on breaking free from the British, Sriramulu undertook a fast unto death demanding that all temples in the Madras Province be open to the Dalit community. He continued the fast until Gandhi persuaded him to break it. It was in 1946 in the month of March. It lasted only ten days. The second, in December of the same year, lasted nineteen days and demanded the opening of all the temples in Nellore to Dalits. The third and fourth, in 1948 and 1949, both demanded the declaration of a monthly 'day of service to benefit the social uplift of Dalits. He did a secure entry for Dalits into the Sri Venugopala Swamy Temple.

Following Gandhi's death, however, Sriramulu took up the cause for a separate state for Telugu-speaking areas. Although the movement for a separate Telugu-speaking state goes way back to the early 1910s, it was on 15 August 1951 when Congressman Swami Sitaram launched a fast-unto-death for the creation of a separate Andhra state. For 35 days, the Central government did nothing until Acharya Vinoba Bhave warned Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru of the potential consequences if these demands were not met. Both leaders eventually met Sitaram and promised the creation of Andhra Pradesh. Unfortunately, this promise never materialised because Nehru was strongly against the idea of creating states along linguistic lines.

Another figure opposed to the idea was Chief Minister of the erstwhile Madras Province, C Rajagopalachari. Moreover, both leaders clearly stated that if a state was indeed created the city of Madras (Chennai) will never become a part of it.

Unsatisfied by the Centre's response, Sriramulu began his fast-unto-death for a separate Andhra state on 19 October 1952.

For the first six weeks of his fast, both Nehru and Rajaji were unconcerned by the fast. However, the law and order situation began to deteriorate with hartals in many towns and angry mobs destroying public property. Nehru eventually ceded to their demands and wrote to Rajaji on 12 December, asking him to accept the demand for a different state. However, there was a delay in issuing the formal announcement, leaving Sriramulu to fast for a few more days till he tragically passed away on 15 December 1952. He had fasted for an astounding 58 days.

His death caused an uproar and the news spread like wildfire. Even the people in far-off places like Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Eluru, Guntur, Tenali, Ongole and Nellore came up and joined the agitation. Seven people were killed in police firing in Anakapalle and Vijayawada. The popular agitation continued for three to four days disrupting normal life in Madras and Andhra regions. On 19 December 1952, Nehru agreed to grant statehood to Andhras.

After his death, the Telugu-speaking area of Andhra State was carved out of the erstwhile Madras State on 1 October 1953 with Kurnool as its capital city. More than three years later, on 1 November 1956, Andhra Pradesh came into existence with Hyderabad as its capital. This Mercator of India served the motherland with utmost devotion and selflessness and gave up his life in the process. This great man deserves recognition and respect from the entire nation and the world for his unflinching service to the nation.

Jai Hind